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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30140217">Cut Short</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Archer_Willows/pseuds/Archer_Willows'>Archer_Willows</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Canonical Character Death, Had a lot of fun writing her so bet your ass I'll write more Adi Gallia, I'll do it myself I guess, Murder, My first attempt at writing this character, One Shot, Self-Acceptance, So comment your predictions, The Force, The fandom must recognize her, Title of a new project is teased somewhere in this, Why the hell is there nothing about her, character backstory</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 17:47:10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,687</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30140217</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Archer_Willows/pseuds/Archer_Willows</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Jedi Master. That’s what she was. Master Gallia. But who really was she? And what was her life meant to be? </p><p>Unknown for so long, the tale of the fallen grace is finally told.</p><p>The untold story of the mysterious Jedi Master Adi Gallia.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Cut Short</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Adi Gallia </b>
  <span>was a Jedi. There was no doubt about that. The Force was with her—and she trusted in it. Whenever she felt hopeless, whenever she felt fear, she meditated. She sought answers in the Force, and she always found them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was no stranger to breaking the rules of the Jedi. Emotion and fear were outlawed. Yet she felt them always. Little did she know, all Jedi felt them. All of them never brought it up under the impression they would be expelled from the Jedi. As warriors of light, that was the one thing they could not bear to lose.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Adi lay awake in her chambers, her bright blue eyes wide open. Her room was the only place she could be alone, with only her thoughts, and the Force to guide her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That night was an interesting one. After a long battle against the separatists in the Unknown Regions, she had returned and immediately went to bed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she could not sleep. She thought of the horrors of war. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>For the battle was real. There were few droids on the enemy side. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were living souls, blackmailed, brainwashed, enslaved, or forced into battle against the Republic. Their anger, their hatred, or even their own life, betrayed them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Every time Master Gallia closed her eyes, she saw the terror in their eyes, illuminated by the glow of her lightsaber as she cut them down.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>There is no death. There is the Force.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The line was engraved into her mind. She had been raised to believe it, to feel nothing about slaughter, and to not be afraid to throw down her life for the greater good. She had always thought she believed it, like the other Jedi. She held onto it with everything she had.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But it was a lie, and Adi knew it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There is both death </span>
  <em>
    <span>and </span>
  </em>
  <span>the Force. They were not mutually exclusive. There is a difference between becoming part of the Force and dying. Whether death was good or bad, was to be determined. After all, none who had ever experienced it could tell them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Master Gallia could feel it. She felt how life ends, and she knew with the utmost certainty that death was very, very real. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She felt so unsure. The Council, and herself, had always lied to everyone about the ways of the Force. But she felt a connection to the Jedi she could never replicate anywhere. She knew she was supposed to be a Jedi. But was she really cut out for it? Or were the Jedi, simply another lie?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Torn, Adi sat up. She pushed off her bedsheets and rubbed her eyes. Quietly, she slid off her bed and sneaked to the corner of her room. A window overlooking Coruscant displayed the beauty of the stars and nebulae. The work of the Force. It was how she stayed connected when she felt tense.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Adi sat and stared outside. She focused, and lowered her spirit into the Force, searching for answers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She felt the familiar tug in her gut, signifying she had descended to the realm of Force. She opened her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A vast expanse of stars, constellations, asteroids, planets, and supernovas spread out before her. She sat floating in suspension. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A voice whispered in her ear: </span>
  <em>
    <span>What is it that you wish to explore?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The voice of the force. It wasn’t a voice. It didn’t speak. It did not use words. The way it communicated thoughts was beyond the comprehension of the limited mortal minds. It simply did, and Adi understood its call.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I want to know the will of the Force, </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Am I doing the right thing, being a Jedi?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Not exactly sure what you mean, Master Gallia, </span>
  </em>
  <span>it whispered back, </span>
  <em>
    <span>so you regret being a servant of the Force?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>No, of course not. What I mean is, are the Jedi… really doing what you want? I feel like I’ve been lying to myself about the Force for my whole life. I feel less peaceful than I ever have. I just… I don’t know what to do.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Trust in the Force, </span>
  </em>
  <span>It responded, </span>
  <em>
    <span>It will guide you. It will show the way. In time, all will be revealed.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>With that, her eyes fluttered open. She was back in the mortal world.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Annoyed, Adi tried to calm herself down. The Force had never left her without an answer before. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>In time, all will be revealed.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>What did that even mean? Adi flopped back onto bed and scowled as she fell asleep.</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>On Alderaan… One week later…</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They’re about to take the lower city!” Senator Amidala yelled. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We won’t let them,” Anakin said, “The Separatists will never take this planet as long as the Jedi are here!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He spoke a little too forcefully, too passionate, Adi noticed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then she returned to the fight. Droids and soldiers fell to the Jedi, Clones, and the Republic forces en masse.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A human soldier attacked her from behind. She easily disarmed and tripped him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She pointed her lightsaber at his throat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please, no!” He shouted, holding up his hands. “I don’t want to die!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was genuinely terrified. Adi showed mercy. She lowered her lightsaber. “Go now, and we will not hurt you,” she told him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you,” he said, and ran off into the brush.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Adi stood watch to make sure he headed </span>
  <em>
    <span>away </span>
  </em>
  <span>from the palace. He did.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then Adi groaned in pain, sliding to the ground. She clutched her robes tightly. A dark red spot grew on her hip. Her knees gave out and she lay on the road. She stared in pain at her wound. Her legs were crossed awkwardly as she winced and put pressure on her side. She felt her life slipping away as she lost blood. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Master Gallia!” a clone yelled and ran up to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hold on, we’ve got you,” a brother of his said. They started dressing the wound. They were too late. Her side only grew in pain and her head was already too light. She was dying.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If only she had a little more time.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Trust in the Force. It will guide you.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Adi took a shaky breath. She reached into the Force weakly. Her breathing slowed. So did the flow of blood. She was briefly able to sustain herself. Still, it was bad. She was still dying. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her eyes dimmed and she blacked out. </span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Adi awoke in a medical facility. A large bandage was wrapped around her waist. She felt weak, and her head was spinning.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ll be alright, Master,” the medical droid said. A needle extended on its arm. “But now you need rest.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She felt the needle go in. It was instantaneous. Her eyes closed and she fell asleep.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She awoke later. She no longer had a splitting headache. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. The bandage was still there. The skin was tender.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she was alive. And felt much better.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stood up, and instantly tripped. Barely catching herself, she realized she was still weak. Her legs kept losing their balance. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She managed to hobble over to her wardrobe and put on her robes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thankfully, she had a cane in case she ever needed it. She grabbed it and began to walk slowly towards the Council chambers.</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>One Month after the attack on Alderaan</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Adi was fit for duty. Her body had completely healed. She felt ready to take on the separatists.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But that wasn’t what the council assigned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was sent to accompany Obi-Wan to investigate some pirates.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But it turned out to be much worse.</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh how the mighty Sith have fallen,” Obi-Wan mocked. The two Zabraks raised their sabers. They began to duel. Adi ignited her own and attacked the brute.</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Adi slammed into the wall. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fazed, she began to regain her balance, reaching for her lightsaber to defend herself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was too slow. Surprise filled her eyes as the head came charging towards her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Adi stood tall just as the Zabrak’s horns tore through her chest. She gasped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pain seared her senses as she was thrown back against the wall. She felt her life slipping away. Tears formed in her agonized eyes as she stared into the sky. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clutching her chest, she collapsed onto the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her lightsaber rolled out of her hand. Whimpering in pain, she barely hears Obi-Wan yell out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her life flashed before her eyes. She saw her as a young child, using the force the first time. The others applauded as she pushed away a pencil.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She saw herself as a teenager, young and full, a padawan braid bestowed upon her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She saw herself, about 3 years later, crafting her first lightsaber. She wiped sweat from her brow, panting from the effort. But she kept going. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was now a young adult, and a Jedi Knight. The padawan brain was cut from her head. She was young and beautiful, staring at the council with wonder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then she was knighted a Master. She felt an overwhelming surge of pride and honor as she took her seat in the Jedi Council.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She saw herself accepting Anakin into the order. She saw her and Anakin taking on the droids and reaching Master Koth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then the past caught up. She saw herself and Obi-Wan, dueling the Sith brothers as one.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then, she saw the horns piercing her flesh. She tumbled to the ground. Her lightsaber rolled out of her hand. Her cranial tendrils flopped on the sandy floor.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>All will be revealed.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Adi exhaled. She had loved a good life. She had done her duty. She finally understood. Death and the Force were different. She realized the truth—the Jedi were wrong. So were the Sith. It was all about picking an extreme. But the solution was neither. She saw that maybe her death would mean something. That was enough. She could never change the Jedi. But maybe she could change the world.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She took one last look at the universe. It was all worth it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She closed her eyes. With one large breath, the Sith’s lightsaber seared through her back, and Adi Gallia died.</span>
</p>
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